Candy Canes and Sin
by Trinity Brooks
Summary: Awkward conversations and drunken co-workers make an office Christmas party nearly unbearable until Bella connects with an irresistible green-eyed Santa Claus and sparks fly. AU/AH. One-shot. Co-written with regattabay for "A Very Cullen Christmas".


**A/N: Co-Authored by RegattaBay and Trinity Brooks for withthevampsofcourse and jandco's "A Very Cullen Christmas Collaboration Contest"**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. No profit is made.**

CANDY CANES AND SIN

Santa was most definitely happy to see me. My breath caught in my throat and I felt my face turn pink as something pressed into my side insistently. I was sitting on his lap, and I would have to be even more unobservant than usual to think what I was feeling was just a prop belt buckle.

I was at the office Christmas party of the design company where I had started working only a few weeks ago. The room was festive, strung with white lights and pine tree garland. An appearance by Santa was just the cinnamon on the eggnog. Jessica and Tanya were the only people I recognized, and both of them were already drunk, sloshing their wine and teetering on their heels. Minutes ago, Tanya stole Santa's beard, revealing Michelangelo's David come to life. His hair was hidden beneath the Santa hat, but his facial features were perfectly sculpted from flawless alabaster skin. I didn't know him, but it was obvious that the girls did and wanted a piece of what was now firmly lodged against my waist.

Soon after his revealing, Jessica persuaded me to sit on his lap for a picture. Eager for a closer view, I didn't put up much of a fight. I would have happily sat there all night and called it home if he'd let me. Jessica was drunkenly fumbling with the camera, and we sat there, patiently waiting. I snuck a glance at him, and his green eyes bore into my brown ones. They held so much heat that I thought I imagined it for a second, but the hardness pressed into my back let me know that it was definitely real. He glanced away after a moment, looking slightly embarrassed, as if he were willing the blood in his body to rush anywhere else besides his groin.

My own body responded immediately and I felt my center grow warm and soft. I clenched my hands at my sides to avoid wrapping them around the nape of his neck, tugging off his red hat, and playing with his hair. I decided on a more socially acceptable tact and tried conversation. "I'm Bella," I said in my most friendly, conversational tone, normal as if his erection weren't pressing against me. The thought occurred to try and shift on his lap to make him more comfortable, but there really wasn't anywhere to go. Besides, I was enjoying this. Perhaps a bit too much.

"I'm Edward." His voice sounded strained, but it held the same edge of need that I had seen in his eyes. The sound immediately made my heart begin to pound. He looked at me then, almost as if he had heard the change in my heart rate, and I tried to let my eyes mirror his. I wanted him to see that I knew what he was feeling, and that I felt it too. I bit my lip and returned his gaze.

I didn't know if he understood because at that moment, Jessica figured out how to work the camera. The flash lit up beside us, and we both looked at her, blinking furiously as we tried to regain our vision.

"Aw, shoot," Jessica said, squinting at the digital image. "You guys were looking at each other instead of the camera. We have to take another one. Bella, turn so you're facing me," she demanded.

I shifted in Edward's lap to follow Jessica's instructions. As my back pressed up against him, Edward let out the softest of groans, so quiet that I was sure I was the only person that heard it. His erection was now pressed into the small of my back, and he exhaled deeply, the warmth of his breath tickling the back of my neck. I shivered involuntarily, and I heard Edward stifle another groan.

"Oh my god, you know what would be so cute?" Jessica started, her voice giddy with excitement. "Edward, wrap your arms around Bella." She was waving her hand toward us and nearly vibrating with excitement.

Edward hesitated for a moment, and only I knew why. "Come on, it'll be adorable!" she urged.

Sighing in defeat, Edward snaked his arms around me, the movement pulling me even closer to his body than I already was. I fit snugly in his embrace, and I couldn't help but smile. His face was right above my shoulder and his lips were aligned with my ear. It took a concerted effort not to turn my head and run my nose along his chiseled jaw line. His scent enveloped me then and I practically melted in his arms. My body grew warmer and I spread my legs slightly to feel his leg push slightly up between my thighs.

His hands flexed lightly on my sides. I rested one hand demurely on my lap and the other I wrapped around my waist. Our fingers touched and he stiffened. I pushed my hand forward so our fingers overlapped more until he raised his up and our fingers entwined. Even through the thick fabric of his white glove I could feel the spark; the spark that I had never felt before but had heard about endlessly in books and movies. All-consuming, inexplicable lust.

Jessica snapped the picture, and scampered off to show Tanya.

Edward's grip around my body loosened, and as much as I didn't want to, I knew it was time for me to relinquish my seat. Carefully, I got up from his lap and he immediately crossed his legs, using the bagginess of the Santa costume to his advantage. I felt slightly light-headed and had to steady myself by putting a hand on his shoulder.

Edward looked visibly more relaxed now that I was no longer on top of him, but his eyes were still dark and strained as they looked up at me. The air felt heavy with tension, and I wasn't sure what to do to eliminate it. I knew what I wanted to do, but that involved privacy and a prophylactic. Neither of which I had.

"So, uh..." he started awkwardly.

"Thanks for the picture. I'll make sure Jessica gives you a copy," I said with my most inviting smile.

"Thanks." He paused for a moment as if he were unsure of what to say next. His eyes drifted downward like the floor had just done something interesting and color bloomed on his cheeks. "Enjoy the rest of the party."

My heart sank at his words. I knew that tone. It was the same tone people used when they say they love your burnt, flat cookies that even the dog wouldn't touch. He didn't want to be around me anymore, and was offering me a polite exit. I nodded and kept a smile on my face. Of course it was too good to be true. Meetings like this never happened, and especially not to me. I removed my hand from him and I started to turn but stopped midway to speak over my shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, Edward," I said quietly before walking away. I was a few feet away when Mike, my co-worker tapped me on the shoulder.

"Eggnog?" he asked, offering me a red plastic cup with drooping green wreathes painted on it.

"Thanks." The smell of alcohol assaulted my nose, but I was grateful for the distraction. I stole a glance in Edward's direction as I sipped the drink. He was hunched over in the chair, breathing deeply and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. Tanya was beside him, and though I couldn't quite make out what she said, it looked like she was asking if he was feeling well. I heard Edward mumble something about being tired before I realized Mike was talking to me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I hoped he wouldn't pick up on my failed attempt at eavesdropping.

"I said, that was quite a scene Jessica put you guys through," Mike said chuckling. "I can't believe Alice actually convinced him to dress up as Santa for the party."

"Alice? Is that his, uh, girlfriend?" I asked, maybe a little too quickly. My stomach dropped to my feet. The first man ever to make me melt simply with a glance was taken. Of course he was. No man who could make a pair of panties soaked through in a matter of seconds could be available.

"Alice Cullen," he said, pointing across the room to a petite woman dressed as an elf beneath her festive Christmas dress. "Edward's sister. She did all the decorations."

In order to hide my utter jubilation at the possibility of Edward being single, I looked around the room. It looked like the North Pole exploded, covering every available surface with holiday cheer. "She likes to go all out for the holidays, huh?"

"You should see her during Halloween. She makes a great vampire."

"I'll bet."

I took another sip of my drink and used the opportunity to glance at Edward once more. He was standing now, his body clearly having recovered from our little interlude earlier. His Santa hat was missing, revealing beautifully tousled bronze hair. My gaze traveled upward and I nearly choked when I saw him staring back at me. The group of people he was standing with were chatty, but Edward was putting forth the least amount to effort necessary to participate in the conversation. Even from where I was standing I could see that his eyes held the same needful, hungry gaze as they did when I was in his lap. I started coughing, and Mike handed me a napkin. I handed him my drink in exchange.

"I think I should cut myself off." My voice was muffled through the napkin as I regained my composure. Glancing back, I saw that Edward had excused himself from the group. My eyes darted around the room to look for him, and luckily his costume made him easy to spot. He was heading toward the exit, into the hallway of our office building.

"Would you excuse me, please?" Mike looked taken aback but nodded and I hurried after Edward.

As I chased after him, I briefly wondered what the hell I was doing. It was possible he wasn't leaving, and just going to use the washroom. However, if that were the case he could have used the one in the party room. Even if I did catch up to him before he left, what would I say to him? Ask him on a date? Ask him to take me right there in the stairwell, against the wall, with my heels behind my ears? Only one way to find out.

I found him in the hallway, not far from my office.

"Edward?" I called, a little breathless from trying to move faster than my high heels would allow. "Are you leaving?"

Edward stopped walking, but didn't turn around. "I can't stay here and act like nothing's wrong. Not after what happened." His voice sounded pained.

"You didn't do anything wrong," I said quietly. I wanted to reach out and grab him, just to feel his skin against mine.

He laughed, and it was a harsh sound. "I'm sure you could feel how wrong it was, Bella. You could feel it pressed against your back."

I couldn't just let him leave it at that, not when he felt like a creepy sex offender and I felt like a woman two minutes from orgasm. "Can we talk in private? My office is just down there, two doors down."

I couldn't quite tell because his back was to me, but it looked like his body went rigid.

"Please?" I said, just this side of begging. After a long moment he sighed and nodded. Satisfied he wasn't going to leave, I walked past his large frame, grabbed his hand, and led him into my office. The door closed behind us with a soft click.

Edward rubbed a hand over his face. His other was still wrapped around my fingers. "Bella, really I'm so sorry about what happened back there. Really, I just… ah… couldn't help it." He brought us through my office, walking to the window overlooking the city lights.

I nodded enthusiastically in understanding, trying to make him feel at ease. "I wasn't offended, Edward. Not at all," I said squeezing his hand.

Edward looked down at me quizzically and stepped toward me. Standing up he towered over me. The look he was giving me sent a delicious chill down my spine. My muscles felt loose and my knees were weak. I wanted to hang onto his Santa suit for balance. Instead, I backed up and my shoulders hit the window. He followed me and put both his hands on either side of me against the glass.

"What is it?" I said breathlessly as that wonderful tightening sensation returned between my legs.

"I can't understand," he began before starting again. "I find you very difficult to read."

I did hang on to the padding at the front of his suit then, afraid he would leave. "What do you mean?" I asked.

He waved his hands between us. "This," he said meaningfully. "Don't you feel it?" He lifted his hand to my face and brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "I don't understand it. I've never felt anything like it."

I bit my lip before pushing my back off the window and leaning toward him. "I'm just as confused as you are." My breathing increased. "But why fight it?" Inwardly, I cringed. I was practically throwing myself at the poor man. My body wouldn't be denied, however.

He looked down at me and his grazed dropped further to my lips. "May I?" he whispered.

"Yes." I nodded again and was practically climbing up his suit, straining to meet his lips. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against mine. That static sensation infused my body once again and a soft moan escaped my lips. He pressed harder then and took my bottom lip fully into his mouth, sucking gently.

His hands wrapped around my waist then and lifted me up to his level. My legs immediately wrapped themselves around his torso and my hands found their way into his gorgeous bronze hair. I took a moment to praise myself for wearing a short, loose skirt before his mouth opened against mine and I tasted him fully. Candy canes and sin.

Edward made a noise then, almost like a growl, full of sensual promise. One of his large hands slid into my hair while the other slid over my ass and squeezed. Of their own accord, my hips lifted and pressed into his. He kissed me deeper in response before moving his lips down to my neck leaving a damp trail.

"God, Bella…" he whispered, sucking on my skin, and letting his hands roam my backside. I was coming apart, I could feel myself shaking, and I gently lifted and dropped myself onto the hardness between my legs. Release couldn't come fast enough.

Then he pulled away abruptly. And I whimpered. I actually whimpered. I could even feel my bottom lip quaking.

My near meltdown was unwarranted however, as he began stripping off his Santa suit. Off came the sweater and then the belly then finally the red trousers. Left in their wake was a body made for sex. Sex with me, to be precise. He wore a bright red vintage t-shirt and dark grey trousers that hugged his slim hips. The shirt perfectly complemented his tall, lanky form and flat stomach.

I almost drooled. But before I could he was back on me, hauling me up his body by the back of my thighs and pushing me hard against the window. His whole body was undulating against mine and I strained to get closer. My fingers threaded through his hair and our tongues pressed against each other, seeking out any previously unexplored space.

His lightly calloused palms ran up my sides and under my blouse, pushing it up over my bra. The feel of his fingers and the cold blast of air made my nipples grow hard and I arched into him seeking pressure. He obliged me by moving us to the desk where he swiped everything off it with one swoop of his muscle-roped arm. A great, echoing crash filled the room as files, paperweights, a calculator and stapler fell to the floor.

He breathed in as he pulled his mouth from mine. "Sorry," he kissed me again. "I'll clean it up later. Promise." He began panting.

I reared up and stopped him from talking with my mouth. I felt his lips turn up in to a smile before I ran my hands down his back and under the waist band of his trousers. He stopped smiling then and instead pushed me all the way back on my desk, climbing fully on top of me. I heard some heavy piece of metal hit the floor.

I ignored it. His hips were now firmly pressed between my thighs and his lips against my neck. "You smell so good," he moaned as I rubbed my hips against his. I could only whimper in response as I frantically began to try and push his shirt up to get greater access to his hot skin.

Edward then tensed and lowered his forehead to my chest, before dropping a kiss on my collarbone and sitting us up. His hands returned to my waist and he was softly running his thumbs over my bared skin.

"Bella," he said with a voice about an octave deeper than when he talked to Jessica earlier. "If I don't stop now, I won't be able to."

"I don't want you to stop." Shaking my head, I looked at him encouragingly.

He let out a deep sigh. "You must understand. I don't want to ruin this. I don't want to mess this up before it even begins." His fingertips brushed lightly over my cheekbones. "I don't want to push too far because I want this to… to be more," he said hesitatingly.

The thought of never feeling this way again was too devastating to think about. I leaned forward and gently trailed my lips along his jawline until I reached his ear. He wasn't aware, but I was; he could have his cake and eat it too.

"I feel the same way. Trust me, Edward," I whispered before nipping at his earlobe. A shiver ran through his body as he exhaled, and I took that as my cue.

My hands slid down his chest and stomach to unfasten his trousers. I reached inside and took him in my palm, freeing his impressively rigid length from the restraining fabric. He moaned deeply as I wrapped my fingers around him. His body was shaking slightly and his hips pumped forward.

I slid forward on the desk, so he could press against me and feel my heat. "Bella," he started, but I silenced him with a kiss and began moving my hand up and down between us. He fed at my mouth hungrily, his breathing becoming more labored as I began to work harder and faster. Craving more contact, I slid my free hand beneath his shirt, over the firmness of his flat stomach. My nails bit lightly into his skin.

Edward broke the kiss, returning his lips to my neck and tangling one hand in my hair. His other hand was at my breast, kneading. "Come for me," I whispered against his skin as I gently bit down on his ear. The sweetness of his warm breath danced over my skin and I felt him tense a moment later. He cried out softly, his face buried against my hair and neck, and his body shook as the pleasure overtook him.

"You are incredible," he whispered hoarsely, running his nose along my jaw, inhaling my scent. I let out a soft squeak of surprise then as he laid me back down on the desk, partially covering my body with his own. His weight pressed against me and my legs automatically scissored apart allowing his hips to hit the desk beneath me. His hand moved down from my hair to unbutton my blouse and push aside the cups of my bra, exposing my breasts.

Edward's hand slid beneath my skirt and I gasped as his fingers slipped beneath my panties to meet my warm center. He roughly pulled my top down and took my nipple into his mouth. My fingers speared through his hair and I writhed beneath him as his fingers caressed me.

"Oh god, Edward," I moaned, my breathing becoming fitful. His tongue flicked my nipple in response and I felt myself drowning in him, the pressure building within me.

"Bella... you are so beautiful," Edward whispered against my skin. His ministrations became more urgent and I was gasping for breath. His hips started pushing against me to the same cadence of his fingers and the fabric of his jeans rubbed against me heightened the sensation.

He took my mouth again and bit my bottom lip before rasping, "Your turn, baby. Come for me." At that moment I came apart in his arms, my climax crashing over me like a strong ocean wave. My stomach clenched and my back arched off the desk.

I laid there panting, trying to collect myself, and Edward pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.

"Can I see you again?" He asked quietly, a dark seriousness written across his face.

Helpless to do anything else, I nodded weakly. "Of course," I croaked. "As if you could keep me away," I said, reaching up to cup his face.

His beautiful face lit up and he kissed me thoroughly, happily. "My family is having a Christmas party tomorrow night. I'd love it if you came with me."

"Really?" I asked hopefully. He was gorgeous and polite, and nice to his sister, and gave me orgasms, and wanted me to meet his parents. I could have cried from joy.

"Of course," he said, grinning wickedly. "My sister is making me wear the Santa suit again and I want you to be my elf. You'd have a legitimate excuse to sit on my lap the entire time."

I giggled softly as he lay down next to me. "I'd love to."

He had an almost awed expression on his face as he turned his head toward mine on the desk. His hand reached out and grab mine and our finger entwined once again. "Merry Christmas, Bella," he said quietly, our eyes locked.

I turned over on my side and lay my head on his chest, my thigh on his leg, and my hand over his heart. His other arm wrapped around my back, holding me close as the faint, soothing strains of "Silent Night" came in through the door.

I nuzzled my face against his shirt. "Merry Christmas, Edward," I whispered.


End file.
